Rich Men North of Richmond | Oliver Anthony

Sadness, Depression and Hope

Rich Men North of Richmond – 9 Aug 2023 | Oliver Anthony

Oliver Anthony uploaded a song to YouTube on August 7th. He had just recorded it in his yard, alone but for his dogs.

By August 10th the self-published song was number one on the iTunes country chart, while the two other songs Anthony had recorded on his phone were in the top ten. By August 13th he was playing to a crowd of thousands in North Carolina alongside singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson who had come out to support the rising star. And country hitmaker John Rich is reportedly getting ready to produce a proper album for Anthony in the near future.

‘Rich Men North of Richmond' is a scathing critique of wealth inequality and the influence of wealthy individuals in society. The song has gained a massive audience and has gone viral.

Oliver Anthony's song gained attention after he was asked to record a song for a YouTube channel while he was about 30 days sober. The song struck a chord with listeners and has been widely shared and discussed. It has become an anthem for some who feel marginalised or frustrated with the influence of wealthy individuals.

According to Twitter user Jason Howerton, who interviewed Anthony, the songwriter has struggled “with mental health & coping with alcohol. In depths of despair, just about a month ago, Oliver got to his knees & broke down in tears. Though he wasn't a religious man, that night he promised God to get sober if he helped him follow his dream.”

Lyrics

Rich Men North of Richmond

I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day
Overtime hours for bullsh-t pay
So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles away

It's a damn shame what the world's gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is

Livin' in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don't think you know, but I know that you do
‘Cause your dollar ain't sh-t and it's taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond

I wish politicians would look out for miners
And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain't got nothin' to eat
And the obese milkin' welfare

Well, God, if you're 5-foot-3 and you're 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are puttin' themselves six feet in the ground
‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kickin' them down

Lord, it's a damn shame what the world's gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is

Livin' in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don't think you know, but I know that you do
‘Cause your dollar ain't sh-t and it's taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond

I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day
Overtime hours for bullshit pay

Sources and links

Source: Oliver Anthony – Rich Men North Of Richmond – YouTube